Zaldy Co has P4.7 billion air assets

MANILA, Philippines — Eleven aircraft worth P4.7 billion have been found registered under the names of companies connected to Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co, who has been abroad since the outbreak of the scandal over anomalous flood control projects allegedly involving him and several other lawmakers and officials.

Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon said Co appears to be the only one among the personalities linked to the flood control scam to have air assets consisting of aircraft and helicopters, based on data provided by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP).

Co was among the 26 people checked for ownership of air assets, upon the request of the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH).

“We will submit this to the AMLC (Anti-Money Laundering Council), ICI (Independent Commission for Infrastructure) and the DOJ (Department of Justice),” Dizon said at press briefing, referring to the information provided by the CAAP. “We will leave it up to them, what to do with these assets.”

Dizon said Co’s 11 air assets are registered in his companies: Misibis Aviation & Development Corp., Hi Tone Construction Development Corp. and QM Builders.

He said the National Bureau of Investigation has already requested a freeze order on Co’s assets.

The Land Transportation Office (LTO), Dizon said, has also responded to his request for a listing of vehicles of the 26 individuals – 20 DPWH employees and officers and six private contractors – charged last Sept. 11 before the Office of the Ombudsman. All 26, he said, were found to own vehicles worth a total of P474.4 million. Dizon noted that the Discaya couple, Sara and Curlee owned the most number of cars among the 26.

Hernandez surrendered his Lamborghini Urus yesterday to the ICI, the second luxury car he has turned over to the investigating body.

Hernandez gave up his P12-million GMC Denali on Friday “as a sign of good faith and his willingness to cooperate.”

The Lamborghini Urus, which the Italian automobile manufacturer first released in December 2017, has an estimated value of between P30 million and P40 million.

Retired associate justice Andres Reyes Jr., the ICI chairman, personally inspected the luxury car, but he gave no comment.

Hernandez went to the commission’s office in Taguig twice to testify in the ongoing probe on anomalous flood control projects.

He was the first official in the controversial Bulacan first district engineering office to accuse Senators Jinggoy Estrada and Joel Villanueva of receiving kickbacks from flood works.

Earlier in the day, Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, who serves as ICI’s special adviser and investigator, said Hernandez will also hand over his Ferrari soon, but “it’s not working, so an expert has to check on it.”

The dismissed assistant engineer will also give up his motorcycles, according to Magalong.

Together, Hernandez’s luxury vehicles “will be under ICI’s custody but, eventually, there will be a proper disposition in accordance with the law,” Magalong told reporters.

Dizon had sent letters to the Land Registration Authority, LTO, CAAP and the Maritime Industry Authority last Sept. 16, asking for a listing of the land properties, motor vehicles, water vessels and aircraft registered in the names of the 26 individuals.

Included in the request for asset check were former DPWH engineers Hernandez, Henry Alcantara and Jaypee Mendoza.

Other DPWH officials on the list are John Michael Ramos, Ernesto Galang, Lorenzo Pagtalunan, Norberto Santos, Jaime Hernandez, Floralyn Simbulan, Juanito Mendoza, Roberto Roque, Benedict Matawaran, Christina Mae Pineda, Paul Jayson Duya, Merg Jaron Laus, Lemuel Ephraim Roque, Arjay Domasig, John Carlo Rivera, John Benex Francisco, Jolo Mari Tayao.

Also requested to be subjected to asset freeze order were Ma. Roma Angeline Rimando of St. Timothy Construction Corp.; Mark Allan Arevalo, general manager, Wawao Builders; Sally Santos, owner/manager, SYMS Construction Trading and Robert Imperio, owner/manager, IM Construction Corp.